Page 30 of Roar Letter Word

Addie slid from the bed and stood. The king came in, standing tall and proud with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She tried to focus on his face, which thankfully wasn’t mangled but fatigued, nevertheless. The sight of the towel barely balancing against the cut line of his pelvic bone was exquisitely distracting.

“What happened out there?” Addie asked, her hands wringing in front of her.

Mahes caught the gesture and took a step toward her. He was grinning, which gave Addie that childlike feeling again.

“It was just a royal scuffle. Nothing that you have to worry about, my darling.”

He tried to cup his hands over hers and even leaned down for a kiss. But Addie didn’t like being blown off, so she took a large step backward, her calves hitting the edge of the bed.

“Don’t do that,” she said sternly. “I saw what was going on. Two huge lions fighting. If you want me around, you have to tell me what that was all about.”

Mahes’s face looked mournful, which filled Addie with guilt. But she wasn’t going to budge. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

“Do you want to see me shift?” he asked, blurting out the words.

Addie opened her mouth, her throat feeling suddenly dry and achy. The sight of him like that had frightened her, and she hadn’t completely realized it. It was an undercurrent of emotion that Mahes had expertly picked up.

She swallowed dry, fixing her eyes on the floor as she replied, void of confidence.

“I do. But it scares me. I don’t know what you will do.”

Mahes took another step toward the terrace. He let the towel drop from his waist and went onto all fours, the sight rather erotic without intending to be.

His eyes glowed at her with a pinprick of rich red light. Her heart thumped inside her chest like a battle drum.

“I would never hurt you, Addie. In fact, I can’t. Not ever.”

He shifted then, laces of golden fur sprouting from his smooth skin like flowers in a lush garden, his bones cracking and bending to make space for the swelling of size. She watched something truly supernatural happen right in front of her, his broad back widening somehow even more, the muscles dancing and bulging out from under the plush and taut coat. It was finished just as quickly as it had begun, and Addie was in awe.

Mahes gazed at her, his eyes that darkly gloomy hue, then lay down on his stomach. The sight of him stole her breath from her very core.

Something akin to gravity pulled her forward toward him, holding her hand out to pet the top of his shimmering mane. He remained still as her shaky hand came to the top of his head, the place where a crown would rest on his skull. She patted him like a great cat, the lustrous sensation comforting her weary fears instantly.

“God,” she breathed.

Mahes quickly shifted back, then rose to his feet. He remained naked and pulled Addie into his arms. He was warm, and she could feel his heart punching against his ribs.

“As a ruler, many people are vying for my position at all times. Sometimes, I have to use brute force to show my strength. That is how it is on this planet. But that is how those around me see my dominance."

Addie nodded against his chest, her concern having shrunk away into dust. She couldn’t imagine having to live a life where her very existence was under constant threat of death. But Mahes had dealt with it quickly and with the coolness of an artist. It all had made her more attracted to him.

“I understand. Thank you for explaining that to me.”

He pulled her away from him, a wink of light in his eye that appeared to vary from the red glow she had just observed. She smirked up at him.

“What is it?”

“I have a surprise for you. Get cleaned up and wear something fun and comfortable. I really think you are going to like it.”

All of Addie’s anxiety had been swiped away, replaced by the exhilaration of another date on the curious planet. She did as he asked, showering, straightening her hair, applying some

purple-glitter makeup, and pulling on a sunset-colored sundress.

“Get in, you saucy girl,” he said with a lilt of a growl when he saw her.

Their driver took them off the property of the estate, passing trees the color of plums in autumn and mountains the dusky shade of butter. They arrived near water that was a staggering bubblegum pink even under the sharp cut of twilight.

She instantly saw what Mahes had done, and her heart split open. Before her, on the bed of canary sand, was a stage set up with various artists and singers who would personally serenade them through the duration of the date. They wore sparkling clothing and sang with the ardor and splendor of her very first record.

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